Seasoning dispensing device for an internet-linked cooking assistant system

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to an Internet-linked cooking assistant system that includes a digital chef providing continuously updated recipe information, and an automatic seasoning dispensing unit for storing and automatically dispensing seasonings to the outside, wherein the Internet-linked cooking assistant system comprises: seasoning containers respectively installed on the digital chef and defining a dispensing hole through which seasoning is dispensed; a screw shaft movably and rotatably installed on a dispensing hole of a seasoning container to open and close the dispensing hole; dispensing means coupled to the screw shaft and moving the screw shaft, so as to rotate the screw shaft and dispense seasoning; and rotating means for rotating the digital chef and selecting a seasoning container. By being able to supply a more accurate amount of seasoning stored in a seasoning container, a precise amount of seasoning can be dispensed according to provided cooking information and the number of servings, so that the same taste can always be replicated for a certain dish.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to an Internet-linked cooking assistantsystem, more particularly to a seasoning dispensing device for anInternet-linked cooking assistant system, which is able to supply a moreaccurate and precise amount of seasoning stored in a digital chef, anassistant system, which makes anybody cook a food of a relevant recipeeasily by exchanging various recipe information through the internet.

2. Description of the Related Art

In the families of recent modern society, Couples who work together fora living and singles are increasing.

Especially in the case of both working couples, they eat out more due toa shortage of time. Due to the settlement of the culture of eating out,taste buds accustomed to the taste of food provided by an expert chefquality, but the food cannot be cooked at home because of the absence ofthe food information.

Many professional chefs provide own know-how through the books ofdisclosed cooking or the Internet personal blogs, which are often usedfor cooking at home. However, people usually cook through own experienceor presumption because cooking information is rough and does not provideprecise information according to the number of servings. Therefore,there is a problem that people cannot cook like the cooking informationprovided at the books or the Internet.

In addition, the cooking information through the books or the Internethas much discomfort and disadvantage that food can be exposed to theenvironment at which food is easily contaminated with the bacteriabecause people have to continue to find the books or the Internet duringcooking.

Thus, the present inventor developed the digital chef but more accurateand precise dispensing of seasoning was required in order to flavorclose to the cooking information.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is contrived to solve former problems. Adispensing device is installed to supply a more accurate and preciseamount of seasoning stored at a digital chef so that a more accurateamount of seasoning is dispensed according to provided cookinginformation and the number of servings. As a consequence, the same tastecan always be replicated for a certain dish.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows a detailed diagram of an Internet-linked cooking assistantsystem applied in the present invention.

FIG. 2 shows an outside view of a digital chef in the cooking assistantsystem applied in the present invention.

FIG. 3 shows an inside view of a digital chef, of which the case isremoved, applied in the present invention.

FIG. 4 shows a seasoning dispensing device of a digital chef applied inthe present invention, FIG. 4 a shows a state before operating adispensing device, and FIG. 4 b shows a state of operating a dispensingdevice.

FIG. 5 shows a position control means of a seasoning container appliedin the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to an Internet-linked cooking assistantsystem that includes a digital chef providing continuously updatedrecipe information, and an automatic seasoning dispensing unit forstoring and automatically dispensing seasonings to the outside, whereinthe Internet-linked cooking assistant system comprises: seasoningcontainers respectively installed on the digital chef and defining adispensing hole through which seasoning is dispensed; a screw shaftmovably and rotatably installed on a dispensing hole of a seasoningcontainer to open and close the dispensing hole; dispensing meanscoupled to the screw shaft and moving the screw shaft, so as to rotatethe screw shaft and dispense seasoning; and rotating means for rotatingthe digital chef and selecting a seasoning container.

The dispensing means comprises: a dispensing motor coupled to a screwshaft so as to rotate the screw shaft; a moving block installed on thedispensing motor; a transferring screw to penetrate through and coupledto a moving block by a bolt; and a transferring motor coupled to androtating the transferring screw normally or reversely so as to move amoving block and dispensing motor.

A guider to prevent a moving block from rotating and move it straight isinstalled on the digital chef, and a sensing means to stop the movingblock on the guider by sensing is installed on the moving block.

The screw shaft comprises a cap to open and close a dispensing hole of aseasoning container at its front side, and a coupled block coupled to adrive shaft of a dispensing motor so as to prevent relative rotation atits back side. An elastic means to return a moved screw shaft isinstalled between the coupled block and the seasoning container.

The drive shaft and the coupled block are coupled by key, spline orserration coupling.

The rotating means comprises: a base unit at the bottom; a rotating unitinstalled on the base unit to rotate and on which several seasoningcontainers are installed; a rotating motor coupled to and rotate therotating unit.

A position control means is installed at the digital chef for a selectedseasoning container to dispense seasoning at the same position. Theposition control means comprises: a sensing means installed at eachseasoning container; and a sensing unit to be sensed by the sensingmeans installed at the digital chef.

The sensing means is a photo sensor or a magnetic sensor.

The transferring motor and the rotating motor are a step motor.

EFFECTS

The seasoning dispensing device for an internet-linked cooking assistantsystem of the present invention can be effective to replicate the sametaste always for a certain dish because a precise amount of seasoningcan be dispensed according to provided cooking information and thenumber of servings by being able to supply a more accurate amount ofseasoning stored in a seasoning container.

According to the present invention, a dispensing motor is coupledselectively to a screw shaft installed at a seasoning container so thatthe selected seasoning can be dispensed in order.

According to the present invention, a screw shaft coupled to adispensing motor opens and closes a dispensing unit as moving on thedispensing unit of a seasoning container so that dry type and wet typeseasoning stored in a seasoning container can be prevented from lumping.

According to the present invention, a seasoning container can be placedat a precise position on the dispensing hole by a position control meanscomprising a sensing means installed a seasoning container and a sensingunit installed at a case so that a seasoning can be dispensed precisely.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The internet-linked cooking assistant system and the seasoningdispensing device according to the present invention are illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 5.

First, the internet-linked cooking assistant system, as illustrated inFIG. 1, comprises a digital chef (100); a cooking assistant apparatus, aserver (10), a PC (50), a mobile (40), a chef market (20) and partnersmarket (30).

A digital chef (100), a server (10), a PC (50), a mobile (40), a chefmarket (20) and a partners market (30) are connected with each otherdirectly or indirectly so that various recipes information can beexchanged. In other words, various recipes can be updated or downloaded.The recipe information is meant by overall information such as mainingredients, the number and weight of main ingredients, the kinds andamount of seasoning, the order of adding seasoning, cooking method likecooking time and cooking temperature, number of servings and a categorybelonged to by the recipe information.

The server (10) exchanges various recipes information continuously overinternet, storage media, such as flash memory, card memory and removablehard disk drive, or transmission media like a transmission method usingpublic communications network. In other words, the server (10) stores ordownloads updated information by exchanging various recipes through adigital chef (100), a server (10), a PC (50), a mobile (40), a chefmarket (20) and a partners market (30). Therefore, the server (10) canuse various functions and contents of internet site, recipes can be realtime updated and downloaded, and data can be transmitted and received.

The mobile (40) can get information about recipes by transmitted datasuch as text, image, video and encoded data from the digital chef (100),and my recipes inversely can be added and provided to the digital chef(100) through the mobile (40). Such the mobile (40) can be interlockedwith not only the digital chef (100) but also the server (10) like thedigital chef (100) noted above.

The PC (50) can store data, interlocked with the digital chef (100) andstorage media such as flash memory and removable hard disk drives, anddata can be provided to the digital chef (100) through the PC (50)inversely. Such the PC (50) can be interlocked with not only a digitalchef (100) and storage media but also the server (10) as noted above.

The digital chef (100) can exchange various recipes information,connected with a PC (50), a mobile (40), a chef market (20), a partnersmarket site (30) besides a server (10), and provides relevant recipesinformation visually, acoustically and audiovisually, meanwhile, andalso dispenses seasoning automatically according to a recipe informationfrom a state stored as type.

The digital chef (100) comprises a transmission and reception unit(101), a storage unit (102), a display unit (103), an automaticseasoning dispensing unit (104), a control unit (105), and arecommendation unit (106).

The transmission and reception unit (101) plays a role of transmissionand reception recipes information with the server (10). It provides auser with recipe information received from the server (10) and transmitsa user's inputting own recipe information to the server (10).

The storage unit (102) stores recipes information transmitted from thetransmission and reception unit (101), amount of various seasoningstored at the automatic seasoning dispensing unit (104), users' ownrecipes information input by users and a using history like a usingfrequency of the recipes information chosen by users.

The display unit (103), a kind of monitor, displays recipe informationstored at the storage unit (102), and a user can input an order on thedisplay unit (103) because it can be one or selective combination of atouch screen, a touch pad or a keypad.

The automatic seasoning dispensing unit (104) stores various seasoning,and dispenses stored seasoning outside automatically according to thesignals of the control unit (105).

The control unit (105) controls dispensing seasoning outsideautomatically according to recipe information chosen by a user amongrecipes information displayed on the display unit (103). In other words,the control unit (105) outputs a control signal to dispense seasoning asa relevant amount stored in the automatic seasoning dispensing unit(104) based on recipe information.

The recommendation unit (106) recommends a recipe by reflecting at leastone between a using frequency of recipe information which users chooseand popularity of recipe information transmitted from the server (10).Therefore, the digital chef can provide an optimum recipe and users'satisfaction increase as much. At this moment, the recommendation unit(106) can also judge similarity comparing seasoning mixing ratio in therecipe information, which a user chooses, to seasoning mixing ratio inthe recipe information stored at the storage unit (102). A resultaccording to such a judgment is displayed on the display unit (103), andbecause a user can choose other recipes judged similar to mainingredients and seasoning mixing ratio which a user chooses on thedigital chef (100), there are various choices for users.

The recommendation unit (106) can also recommend a recipe which userscan cook by based on the seasoning stored in the automatic seasoningdispensing unit (104). In the case that the automatic seasoningdispensing unit (104) doesn't have necessary seasoning in a recipe whicha user choose, this is for providing a user with a recipe able to cookusing remaining seasoning.

Meanwhile, a user can buy ingredients needed in a chosen recipe on adigital chef portal site. To achieve this, the transmission andreception unit (101) transmits a request of buying the relevantingredients in recipe information chosen by a user to the server (10),and receives a paying request according to a buying request from theserver (10). And the display unit (103) displays a breakdown of buyingwhen the payment is completed according to the received paying request.Thus, a user doesn't have to operate other devices in order to buyingredients or goods needed to cook, and a user has convenient advantagebecause they can confirm a breakdown of buying or state of an orderimmediately on the digital chef (100).

Meanwhile, as illustrated in FIG. 2 and FIG. 3, the automatic seasoningdispensing unit comprises the base unit (200), the rotating unit (300)to rotate on the base unit (200) and the case (110) to cover the baseunit (200) and the rotating unit (300).

The case (110), sub material of the last exterior, comprises dry and wettype seasoning dispensing hole (111) to dispense dry type seasoningcontained no water such as sugar and salt and wet type seasoningcontained a little of water such as soybean paste and red pepper pasteat the center, and liquid spice dispensing hole (112) to dispense liquidspice such as starch syrup, oil, soy sauce and vinegar.

Dry and wet type seasoning dispensing hole (111), as illustrated in FIG.2, is one hole, and the liquid spice dispensing hole (112) is the samenumber of the liquid spice container's (210) number.

And, a sensing unit (113) to sense by a sensing means of dry and wettype seasoning container is installed on a side of dry and wet typeseasoning dispensing hole (111) and the case (110) apart. Such a sensingunit (113) can be of various shapes and structures according to thesensing means (312), but in the present embodiment the sensing unit(312) has a hole so that the photo sensor can receive light because thesensing means (312) comprises a photo sensor.

Several liquid spice containers (210) are installed round at the sameinterval in the base unit (200), as illustrated in FIG. 3, a dispensinghose is installed on each liquid spice container (210) to dispenseliquid spice outside, and the dispensing hose is connected with eachliquid spice dispensing hole (112) on the case (110).

The rotating unit (300), a cylinder of which the center is empty, isinstalled to rotate on the upper face of the base unit (200), therotation means is installed at the inside, and the several seasoningcontainers (310) to store dry and wet type seasoning are installed atthe surface as a regular interval by circumferential direction and itcan be removable.

The seasoning container (310) can be transparent or opaque, thedispensing unit (311) of which center is empty is installed vertically,and the seasoning dispensing device of this present invention isinstalled on the dispensing unit (311).

The seasoning dispensing device of this present invention comprises thescrew shaft (320) inserted and installed as a state able to rotate inthe dispensing unit (311), and the dispensing unit (311) of theseasoning container (310) is opened and closed by this screw shaft(320).

The screw shaft (320), as illustrated in FIG. 4 a, has a spiral wing onthe its outside, the cap (321) to open and close the dispensing unit(311) of the seasoning container is installed as one body at its foreunit, and the combination block (322) coupled to the dispensing meansmentioned later is installed at its rear unit. And, the elastic means(323) is installed at the screw shaft in the front of combination block(322), it is a compressed coil spring, and it's both side of the end areinstalled as supporting elastically at the outside of the combinationblock (322) and the seasoning container.

Therefore, the screw shaft, as illustrated in FIG. 4 b, (320) compressesthe elastic means (323) by combination of the dispensing means and movesforward so that the dispensing unit (311) is open and the seasoning onthe dispensing unit (311) advances and is dispensed by the rotatingscrew shaft (320). The seasoning is dispensed of the exact amountbecause the amount is proportional to the number of rotation (pitch).

In addition, the seasoning can be prevented from lumping because the dryand wet type seasoning can be stored and kept as dry by the cap of thescrew shaft (320) to open and close the dispensing unit (311) of theseasoning container (310).

The dispensing means is coupled to the combination block (322) of thescrew shaft (320), and moves and spins the screw shaft (320) so that thedry and wet type seasoning in the seasoning container (310) isdispensed.

The dispensing means, as illustrated in FIGS. 4 a and 4 b, comprises adispensing motor (330) which has a drive shaft to spin the screw shaft(320), a moving block installed at the upper side of the dispensingmotor (330) as projecting, the transferring screw (341) penetrating andcoupled to the moving block (332) by bolts, and a transferring motor(340) coupled to and spinning the transferring screw (341) at the normaland reverse direction so as to move the moving block (332) and thedispensing motor (330).

The drive shaft (331) of the dispensing motor (330) and the screw shaft(320) of the combination block (322) are coupled unable to rotate bykey, spline and serration combination. Specially, for the drive shaft(331) moves straight easily, the drive shaft (331) and the combinationblock (322) are coupled by spline or serration combination.

The transferring motor (340) is installed at a side of the guider (360)and is preferred to be a step motor in order to control the precisemoving quantity of the moving block (332) and the dispensing motor (330)by the rotation of the transferring screw (341).

the guider (360) to guide the moving block (332) is installed at theinside of the digital chef (100) for the moving block (332) and thedispensing motor (330) are prevented from rotating when they move by thetransferring motor (340). Meanwhile, the guider (360) is installed atthe lower side of the rotation motor (350) as a shape of a traditionalrail way installed at the digital chef (100), and the sensing means(333) is installed at the moving block (332) to stop the moving block(332) by sensing when it moves straight on the guider (360).

The sensing means (333) can be a traditional sensor or switch such as aphoto sensor or a magnetic sensor, and specially, if the sensing means(333) is a photo sensor, a transparent type is preferred. In otherwords, the transparent photo sensor senses when it receives light in alight reception unit through the guider (360).

when the transferring motor (340) is operated, the transferring screw(341) rotates at the normal direction so that the moving block (332) andthe dispensing motor (330) move toward and are coupled to the screwshaft (320) in the seasoning container (310). When the transferringmotor (340) rotates reversely, the transferring screw (341) rotates atthe reverse direction so that the dispensing motor (330) and the movingblock (332) coupled to the screw shaft (320) move backward and separatefrom the screw shaft (320).

Meanwhile, the transferring motor (340) is installed at a lower side ofthe guider (360) and fixed.

The rotating means, a means to spin the rotating unit (300) on the lowerbase unit (200), comprises the rotating motor (350).

The rotating motor (350) is inserted and placed at the inside of therotating unit (300) which its center is empty, and the bearing (351) isinstalled between the rotating motor (350) and the rotating unit (300).It is preferred to be installed at the rotating motor (350).

When the rotating motor (350) is operated, the rotating unit (300)rotates on the base unit (200). The rotation motor (350) can be a stepmotor in order to control the rotating quantity of the rotating unit(300) precisely.

And, the position control means is installed at the rotation unit (300)for the selected seasoning container among the all seasoning containersdispense at the same position of the case (110), that is the dry and wettype seasoning dispensing hole (111). The position control means, asillustrated in FIG. 5, comprises the sensing means (312) installed at alower side of the dispensing unit (311) of each seasoning container(310) and the sensing unit (113) installed at the case (110) so as to bematched with the sensing means (312).

The sensing means (312) of the seasoning container (310) like thesensing means (333) on the moving block (332) as noted above can be atraditional sensor or switch such as a photo sensor or a magneticsensor, and the sensing unit (113) can be of various shapes andstructures according to the sensing means (312). Meanwhile, the sensingunit (113) is preferred to be installed around the dry and wet typeseasoning dispensing hole (111) installed at the case (110).

Therefore, when one seasoning is selected among the several seasoningcontainers (310) installed at the rotating unit (300), the seasoningcontainer which contains the selected seasoning rotates by the rotatingunit (300) and when the sensing means (312) at a lower side of thedispensing unit (311) in the seasoning container (310) senses thesensing unit (113) installed at the case (110), the rotating unit (300)stops. And then the seasoning in the selected seasoning container isdispensed outside exactly through the dry and wet type seasoningdispensing hole (111).

Hereinafter, operations of above-mentioned seasoning dispensing devicein the digital chef are described.

First, when a user chooses a recipe, the control unit (105) in thedigital chef (100) operates the seasoning dispensing device anddispenses various relevant seasoning according to the main ingredientsof the chosen recipe as one by one in order automatically.

In other words, in the seasoning dispensing device operated by controlunit (105), the rotating unit (300) rotates and moves circularly by therotating motor (350) on the base unit (200). When the sensing means(312) of the seasoning container (310) senses the sensing unit (113)installed at the case (110), the rotating motor (350) stops and thedispensing unit (311) of the seasoning container (310) is placed on thedry and wet type seasoning dispensing hole (111).

And then, the transferring motor (340) installed at the guider (360) onthe lower side of the rotating motor (330) is operated and spins thetransferring screw (341). The moving block (332) coupled to thetransferring screw (341) by bolts moves toward on the transferring screw(341). The moving block (332) to move toward is guided by the guider(360) so it can move straight only with prevented from rotating. Themoving block (332) stops according to the sensing operation by thesensing means (333).

Meanwhile, the dispensing motor (330) installed as one body at themoving block (332) moves toward with the moving block (332) together sothat the drive shaft (331) of the dispensing motor (330) is coupled tothe combination block (322) of the screw shaft (320) installed at thedispensing unit (311) of the seasoning container (310) as a state unableto rotate. And then the screw shaft (320) compresses the elastic means(323) and moves toward on the dispensing unit (311) by the dispensingmotor (330) so that the cap (321) which covers the dispensing unit (311)is separated apart and opens the dispensing unit (311).

In the present state, when the dispensing motor (330) is operated, thedrive shaft (331) and the screw shaft (320) rotate in the dispensingunit (311) through the combination block (322) coupled by spline orserration coupling.

The dry or wet type seasoning placed in between the spiral wings of thescrew shaft (320) is pushed forward and moves by the rotation of thescrew shaft (320) so that it is dispensed outside through the openeddispensing unit (311). And then the accurate amount of seasoning can bedispensed according to the rotation of the screw shaft (320).

Meanwhile, when one seasoning is completed to be dispensed, thetransferring motor (340) is operated reversely by the control unit (105)and moves dispensing motor (330) backward so that it is separated fromthe screw shaft (320). At the same time that the dispensing motor (330)is separated, the elastic means (323) compressed between the seasoningcontainer (310) and the combination block (322) of the screw shaft (320)is tensile so that the cap (321) closes dispensing unit (311) of theseasoning container (310) again by moving the moved forward screw shaft(320) back.

And then the control unit (105) operates the rotating motor (350) andspins the rotation part (300) again so that the rotating part (300)stops at the position of the dry and wet type seasoning dispensing hole(111) by the sensing means (312) of another relevant seasoning container(310), and the seasoning dispensing device is operated again asmentioned above in the present state.

1. A seasoning dispensing device for an Internet-linked cookingassistant system that includes a digital chef providing continuouslyupdated recipe information, and an automatic seasoning dispensing unitfor storing and automatically dispensing seasonings to the outside,wherein the Internet-linked cooking assistant system comprises:seasoning containers respectively installed on the digital chef anddefining a dispensing hole through which seasoning is dispensed; a screwshaft movably and rotatably installed on a dispensing hole of aseasoning container to open and close the dispensing hole; dispensingmeans coupled to the screw shaft and moving the screw shaft, so as torotate the screw shaft and dispense seasoning; and rotating means forrotating the digital chef and selecting a seasoning container.
 2. Aseasoning dispensing device for an Internet-linked cooking assistantsystem of claim 1, wherein the dispensing means comprises: a dispensingmotor which has a drive shaft coupled to and spinning a screw shaft; amoving block installed at the dispensing motor; a transferring screwpenetrating and coupled to the moving block by bolts; and a transferringmotor coupled to and spinning the transferring screw at normal andreverse direction so as to move the moving block and the dispensingmotor.
 3. A seasoning dispensing device for an Internet-linked cookingassistant system of claim 2, wherein a guider is installed at thedigital chef so that it guides for the moving block to move straight andto be prevented from rotating.
 4. A seasoning dispensing device for anInternet-linked cooking assistant system of claim 3, wherein a sensingmeans is installed at the moving block so as to stop the moving block onthe guider by sensing.
 5. A seasoning dispensing device for anInternet-linked cooking assistant system of claim 2, wherein the screwshaft has a cap to open and close the dispensing hole in the seasoningcontainer at the front side, and the coupling block coupled to the driveshaft of the dispensing motor so as to be prevented from rotating.
 6. Aseasoning dispensing device for an Internet-linked cooking assistantsystem of claim 5, wherein the drive shaft and coupling block arecoupled by key, spline or serration coupling.
 7. A seasoning dispensingdevice for an Internet-linked cooking assistant system of claim 1,wherein the rotating means comprises: a base unit at the lower side; arotating unit installed at the base unit so that it can rotate, andseveral seasoning containers are respectively installed at the rotatingunit; and a rotating motor coupled to and spinning the rotating unit. 8.A seasoning dispensing device for an Internet-linked cooking assistantsystem of claim 1, wherein the digital chef has a position control unitso that a selected seasoning container dispenses seasoning to theoutside and supply seasoning. The position control unit comprises: asensing means installed respectively at a seasoning container; and asensing unit installed at the digital chef so as to sense by the sensingmeans.
 9. A seasoning dispensing device for an Internet-linked cookingassistant system of claim 4, wherein the sensing means is a photo sensorOr a magnetic sensor.
 10. A seasoning dispensing device for anInternet-linked cooking assistant system of claim 2, wherein thetransferring motor is a step motor.
 11. A seasoning dispensing devicefor an Internet-linked cooking assistant system of claim 7, wherein therotating motor is a step motor.